By Emmanuel Olagunju
Former Super Eagles Player, Chief Mutiu Adepoju ( MON) , has expressed confidence in the ability of African nations to make significant impacts at the FIFA World Cup, stating that football on the continent has continued to improve over the years.
Drawing from the performances witnessed at the last Africa Cup of Nations, Adepoju identified Morocco, Senegal and South Africa as teams capable of representing Africa strongly on the global stage. He noted that African teams are increasingly capable of competing with the world’s best sides.
Adepoju said these while appearing as a special guest on Sports Centre’s World Cup Season programme .
Reflecting on his football journey during the online program held on Tuesday , Adepoju explained that Nigeria’s impressive run to the final of the FIFA U-20 World Cup in Saudi Arabia played a major role in shaping his career and opening doors to opportunities abroad.
According to him, the tournament was his first major international competition for Nigeria and remains one of the defining moments of his career. He added that reaching the final, despite not winning the title, provided valuable exposure and attracted the attention of international scouts.
Adepoju disclosed further that scouts from Real Madrid noticed some members of the Nigerian squad during the tournament, leading to invitations to Spain shortly afterwards.
“It was a great opportunity for me to showcase my talent, and that was what brought me into the limelight,” he said.
Speaking on his time in the Super Eagles Adepoju described his pairing with fellow midfielders like Sunday Oliseh and Jay-Jay Okocha as one he greatly cherished.
He noted that each player brought unique qualities to the team, praising Oliseh’s defensive strength, long-range passing ability and overall midfield presence, while describing Okocha as a playmaker capable of controlling the tempo of matches.
“I enjoyed everything in the midfield with them and cherish the moments we had together,”
Adepoju, who possesses a FIFA Pro Coaching Licence revealed that he has yet to receive the opportunity to take up a major coaching role.
He explained that although he had some coaching involvement during his time with Shooting Stars Sports Club while serving as General Manager, a full-time coaching opportunity has not materialized.
“The opportunity has not come,” he stated.
